As Americans hang wreaths on doors and mantles this Christmas season, Morrill Worcester will be arranging to place wreaths against a much different backdrop: the cold gravestones of Arlington National Cemetery. Since 1992, the Worcester Wreath Company has given the Cemetery more than 5,000 wreaths annually. The project, known as the Arlington Wreath Project, began when the company, owned by Worcester, found itself with extra wreaths at the close of the 1992 holiday season. Wanting to do something to honor our nation’s veterans, Worcester arranged for these wreaths to be laid in one of Arlington’s older and less-visited sections. As Worcester’s plans became known, other groups and individuals began offering their support and assistance.
Fifteen years later, more than 75,000 wreaths have adorned the Arlington graves of our nation’s fallen veterans. In 2006, Worcester took the project national with the launch of Wreaths Across America. In his words, “We couldn’t do anything in this country if it wasn’t for the people who gave their lives to protect us. It’s a great honor to be able to come here and pay our respects.
